Does the ATI 5770 or 5870 support 10bit output

[tonyau]

Hi

This question has been asked before (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1012459/) but it did not seem there was any resolution.

I'm buying a mac pro and want to know if either the 5770 or 5870 graphic card can run in 30 bit colour. My current monitor is 30 bit compliant and I believe that 10.7 is compliant as well. Looking around, I have not found a categorical Yes or No on this question. There are other graphic cards that are compliant - 4870 and the Firepro series - but I have heard that the 5000 series may just need a driver update.

Can anyone enlighten me please?

 

[JavaTheHut]

Hi I never found a way to make 10-bit function in Snow Leopard

Its seems its available on Windows though hmmm... What I concluded was although Apple has plans to support 10-bit it does not seem its available in 10.6.8 . I cannot speak for Lion 10.7...

Its a real shame --- I wonder if this is one of their marketing decisions to not bother bringing full support in the OSX since they do not have a 10-bit Apple Monitor to sell.

 

[derbothaus]

OS X is the problem. Not the HW. Even if you got a 10bit display from NEC or Eizo.

 

[goMac]

OS X can run in 10 bit, but you won't find it as an option in the displays control panel. You have to have software that can trigger it using a special OpenGL mode. I believe Photoshop can do this.

Not really an issue as almost all regular software isn't coded for 10 bit output anyway.

 

[derbothaus]

Photoshop can do this in Windows. Not in OS X, last time I checked (which was 1 year ago, at least).
Not sure why people need this anyway. Kind of like display's that are wide gamut. They look terrible and over saturated.

 

[JavaTheHut]

OS X can run in 10 bit, but you won't find it as an option in the displays control panel. You have to have software that can trigger it using a special OpenGL mode. I believe Photoshop can do this.

Not really an issue as almost all regular software isn't coded for 10 bit output anyway.

I have all the right Hardware and software and still cannot run my NEC monitor in 10-bit mode with OSX - If you have reference to someone who has succeded please share a link

My Config
1. Mac Pro 5,1 with ATI 5870 card (mac edition)
2. NEC PA27W (or other 10-bit compatable monitor with a displayport)
3. Mini displayport > Displayport cable
4. OSX running 64bit mode
5. CS5 PS running 64bit mode
6. PS OpenGL on and Advanced mode selected
7. Open ramp.psd Ramp test
8. Result banding in the image - Fail

 

[halfcamerageek]

Photoshop can do this in Windows. Not in OS X, last time I checked (which was 1 year ago, at least).
Not sure why people need this anyway. Kind of like display's that are wide gamut. They look terrible and over saturated.

Wide gamut displays look over saturated only in apps that are not color managed. For color critical work, photography and design, the extra gamut may be very helpful, specially nowadays, when inkjet printers can exceed the AdobeRGB gamut in some areas.

It's a problem for the web, though, unless you use Firefox and properly configure it.

10bit support is specially interesting for wide gamut displays, because color banding is more visible with the wider gamut. I wish OS X could support it.

 

[goMac]

It may be the 5870 drivers. I know people were reporting success with the 4870, and at one of my old jobs someone had a 10 bit monitor working in Photoshop with a 4870 (in OS X in 10 bit mode).

The OpenGL support is certainly there on Mac. I can see it in the developer docs.

 

[JavaTheHut]

It may be the 5870 drivers. I know people were reporting success with the 4870, and at one of my old jobs someone had a 10 bit monitor working in Photoshop with a 4870 (in OS X in 10 bit mode).

The OpenGL support is certainly there on Mac. I can see it in the developer docs.

Perhaps I will follow up with Apple about the lack of 5870 driver support .

 

[tonyau]

@ JavaTheHut - I think you will find that the 5870 is not supported by ATI. I have been looking on their website and could find no evidence that the 5770 or 5870 supports 30 bit colour. 30 bit color is supported via hdmi and a lower resolution, but that is not what we're looking for.

 

[JavaTheHut]

Saw this from apple site BLAH

"Apple at this time does not support 10 bit output. I have spoken to apple product specialist support, and that is the official word as of 12/10.2010 from the engineering department."

And Here
"Note 10 bit output is currently impossible with the Mac up to and including Snow Leopard. 10.7 may finally have support but that remains to be seen."